Trek 850 Mountain Track--USA-made--from the scrapyard
 

Our local scrapyard is very local, family-run, in a town of only 1300. I've developed a relationship with the owner and his sons. If I pick a handfull of parts, I always offer the owner $5-10, explaining that I'd have to drive 15 or 20 miles to the bike shop to get parts and I really appreciate getting parts so close to home. I drop off my scrap for free. On my last trip on Friday I picked up a working 12in miter saw and this bike frame for $40. It's a made in the USA Trek 850 Mountain Track. It was missing the wheels and pedals, which I had in stock. It had spent a season outdoors, because I had to remove weeds from the derailleurs, but everything worked fine without adjustment. Put it together today and it rides beautifully! What always mystifies me is why someone would dump a bike like this? What was their nicer bike that needed those wheels and pedals? Does anyone know when Trek stopped making bikes in the USA? I have a 1990's Trek Antelope which is made in Taiwan and is not nearly as nice as this 850.http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=220569http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=220570http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=220571

My guess is like the majority of the other companies based out of the US who've moved production over-seas is that it just started costing too much to make the bikes here and overseas they've got mass production down to a science... granted a low quality science... but it's still easier than dealing with the red-tape and wage raises/ product taxation of making anything state-side now days as unfortunate as that is.

Came across an oddity today while we were cleaning up the yard at the co-op... front wheel with a CR18 rim laced to a Gary Fisher branded cartridge bearing hub.

That, and I picked up a Suntour XC front hub with the WTB grease guard to add to my ever growing collection of this excellent group.

Also red tape includes pollution control red tape here in the US. This is why China is have a huge problem with industrial waste in their water ways and in the air. China after making a majority of their rivers unsafe and unhealthy is only now trying to figure out how to clean the mess. China overlooks "little" problems like that as well as problems with worker safety which we go to the extreme with, and public safety. In fact the public safety is at such peril that cancer has skyrocketed there. If you remember the concern during the 08 Olympics in Bejing they had to stop manufacturing for a week prior to the event starting and limit car use, and a lot of contestants were scared of the pollution. The pollution so bad it's carried in the air and goes across the Pacific and gathers over Bakersfield and Los Angeles making those two cities some of the worst particulate pollution levels in the United States...which is one of the reasons I decided to leave Bakersfield! A lot of their farm lands have been destroyed due to not having enough or not having safe water to water the crops with. That's not good with a huge population to feed. In 03 there was an estimated, and China always estimates very low on figures such as these, that 550,000 people a year were dying from pollution not including an additional 300,000 from the effects of indoor pollution. Not sure if China cares though because their population is so over burdensome they may think those deaths are a blessing! But when China decided the those numbers of deaths estimates that were released in 05 not to have any of that information released! World Bank released information outside of China stating they were estimating the deaths closer to 750,000. Combine that with almost 5,000 dying in mines last year, another 89,000 in car accidents, another million to cigarettes. I guess you could say their thinning the herd.

Pollution control in China is non-existent, and if they ever decide to go the western route of controlling it then the prices of all our precious stuff we buy will go skyrocketing to cover the massive clean up cost unheard of in ancient or modern history, and I doubt they will ever be able to clean it up. There is a major effort to convert the use of dirty fuels to wind and solar but they have a tremendous problem to overcome that will take lots of money to make it work even half way, and the cost of that effort will be seen by us.

So whenever your buying products made in China your helping them to thin their herd, not to mention grow their military to be aimed at one target. Maybe one day they'll thin our herd too.

Picked up a NOS set of wheels and headset yesterday. The wheels, 700c Mavic Reflex SUP laced to Shimano 600 Tri color 8/9/10 speed hubs with DT SS spokes. Headset is a Shimano 600 Ultegra, $130 for the wheels and $15 for the headset both which I get to work off.

Just moved my bike shop to my new place... much bigger, but man do I have a ton of crap. It's incredible to me how three years of slow accumulation can lead to this. Now nothing has a place and it looks like so much stuff. WOW. gotta thin it out. Just had to vent.

It's called "HOARDING" ;)

Hey maybe you can get on one of those A&E or TLC channel shows but for having a bicycle problem... could make some sales!

Just teasing!

I had the chance to rummage through some boxes of junk at a LBS and it yielded a few useful (to me) pieces. Some vintage Suntour and Shimano road parts, an excellent condition XT FD, an oddball SRAM SX-5 derailleur, and a Deore M510 freehub.
The Suntour stuff consists of a later model Cyclone FD, and ARX RD. Unfortunately I later discovered the B-screw is damaged and could use a replacement or alternative substitute. If anyone knows the threading, PM me!
Shimano RD is a long cage Light-Action in very good condition. I read these are nice performers. Two 7-speed freehubs: a RX100 126mm and a NOS black anodized OEM shimano model with a 135mm axle.

I've no experience with SRAM 1:1 stuff, and don't have a set of 1:1 shifters. I hope friction shifters have enough travel for it.

Oh, plus a Blackburn MTB rack too, all for the cost of a large pizza. ;)

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Tonight was a pretty good for CL shopping.

I found a bike that's too big for me. A Miyata one ten

Second one... i had been looking for a pair of barcons for awhile, but never found 'a deal' on any. After I finally pieced together a set over a couple months, I find a complete bike with barcons cheaper than the shifters go for on ebay. A late 70s Super LeMans in real good shape(save for the wrong color touch up)

Pictures tomorrow.

Picked up the remains of a Rocky Mountain Snafu at a garage sale today. The frame was beyond repair, the fork and wheels were gone but I got everything else. The BB and cranks will probably go to a friend who asked me about 2 5/8" vs 2 7/8" BB's yesterday (I assume that's 68mm and 73mm). He might also need the V-brake levers since he was trying to use some ancient motorcycle style levers with V-brakes.

The wild San Marco saddle with World Champion colors will probably stay with me :)

That's quite the assortment of paraphernalia you found there!!!

Here are the bikes from the above post. 1985 One Ten

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Mid 70s Centurion. I think it's a Super LeMans. It needs a complete overhaul. It's pretty interesting how some people install fenders

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The color is a blue, with a little paerl in it. plenty of chips and scratches

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This most be an original saddle. I had another Super Lemans with the same seat.

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I think the Centurion would be a great bike, it was their mid level bike which meant it was really decent. The tubeset is from the 70's and tubesets didn't start getting good till the very late 70's and into the 80's, but for it's time it was a good bike.

I had the top of the line Trek TX900 I bought new in 76 that used the best Columbus tubeset and that thing was flexy, not as bad as others I tested though. But when I bought another Trek in 1980, a 412 using Ishwata 022 tubeset that cost less then the TX900, that frame was far stiffer then the much more exotic and more expensive Columbus. This trend continued with the Reynolds 531cs, Fuji VaLite quad butted and especially the Miyata triple butted splined tubeset-that was the best steel tubeset I've ridden for stiffness unfortunately when I bought the 87 Team with that tubeset I got out of racing a month later so I never got to used it for the intended purpose, but my god when I hammered up mountains with that bike it just wanted to fly.

Hey all,
Back for the first time in a while. I've been here but lurking.

Last time I had a Bianchi Axis that I acquired when it was abandoned in our building 3 or 4 years ago. We did another cleanout and this time I inherited a 1984 Trek 420. Looks completely stock. A few minor paint scratches and a shot chain & tires but otherwise pretty good under a liberal coating of dust. Will post pictures soon. I brought it up and wiped it down so as not to contaminate the rest of the house, but not going any further for a few weeks just in case the former owner suddenly realizes he left it blocking a stairwell for two years.

Went on the vintage trek site and this is an 84 but with the frame built in Japan. Unfortunately I think it has the Maillard Helicomatic hub. I am hoping I can just clean it up and run it for a while. Anyone know where I can get that funny little wrench with the bottle opener for these?

It looks a bit tall for me but I may just shove the seat down and ride it a bit then hold it for a trade. I will post pictures as I go.

RSharp

I posted this in another thread, but no one paid it any attention (:cry:) so I'll try again here. It's only slightly decrepit (shattered fenders, tires flat, rim strip hanging out between the tire and rim, never a good sign!) but incredibly grubby.

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There is surprisingly little rust, except for the front rim, which is pretty far gone.

Raleigh Lenton Sports. It has a 1960 AW hub, but I believe the bike is older, probably from 1951.

It did not go unnoticed. I wish I could stumble on one of those, rhm. Insofar as the color is concerned, I beleive I saw traces of blue green paint in the photos from the other thread - though it seems 95% of it has chalked off, or, been covered with the the grimiest-grime I have ever laid eyes on. :thumb:

I think I would replace that front wheel - depending on what it looks like inside.

Now that is what I call high custom there!!! What chin ring is on that?

Finally filled the "vintage track" hole in my collection
Panasonic track 4000, never mind the coaster brake...I am changing the wheels and cranks.
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Nice score TT... You'll be skidding down the sidewalk in no time.

It will be nicer than the conversion I already ride.. maybe when I am not thinking clearly I will take it to hellyer and fall into the center, uh I mean try some practice laps :D

Got to love that Panasonic track bike, nice score!

Today's score - a pair of Paramounts. 1972 P13 frame in chrome and resprayed blue and a 1988 50th Anniversary in white, built up with a mess of Campy and Shimano. Both my size. The seller raced back in his younger days (and still does, just on modern kit) and had no idea this whole 'vintage bike' thing was a thing. He casually mentioned giving away a Serotta at one point. He tried selling me a set of HF NR hubs w/ tubulars and an 8s Campy tubular wheelset for a very reasonable price, but sadly he decided to not to throw them in with the frames even though I managed to make small talk about how we both graduated from the same University (and where his son attends now) halfway across the country and I was already out of cash.

I certainly don't have the space for more bikes so there will be some tough decisions coming up in the days ahead as to the destiny of these new finds.

Check out local police auctions in your local area, sometimes you can get bikes in lots&alot of times, they're pretty good. One of my old meighbors used to do that, had tons of bikes and parts. He was cool too. Before I bought my Bianchi, I used to always have something happen to my bike. Alot of times, I didnt have $$, and neither did my friends. So, hed work out a deal, or trade off if we didnt have $, if one of us cut hid lawn, hed give that person the part they needed. Clean out his gutters? You got the part you needed. He was one cool dude.

I am still working out some bugs in my digital camera that I performed open hart surgery on and gave it a quick test run last night on some of the things I picked up within the last two weeks ( bear with me there not the best shots as it was getting dark and I was in my garage with the door open), some from my boss and a few things that customers gave me.
First are the wheels and headset I picked up the other day then I picked up a bunch of NOS parts for my Free GT Outlook that I never posted. My boss let me go though a few boxes of RD's that he keeps for parts and spares and said help yourself to what ever you want ( I built up a nice Suntour XC Comp the first 20 min of being in the shop) I picked up like 6 Deerhead RD's that I should be able to get one or two working and a bunch of Suntour Accushift RD's for parts.

I picked up two NOS Suntour tools a GT Cage tool still in the package $7 shipped off of the Bay and a BB/Hub tool from my boss as he had a few extra. The one thing that I picked up is for my wife ( she doesn't know it yet) is a NOS Diamond Back Override Hybrid frameset that I will have built up this winter.

I was given two bike racks that need a little work, a Hollywood 4 bike hitch mounted rack that I am going to do some cutting and welding on to repair overload damage and a Rhode Gear spare tire mount missing a few straps. Last I got a new Schwinn cruiser that was stolen the day after a guy bought it and recovered missing a bunch of parts like the fenders,rack,handle bars ( the grips were there though) and the rear wheel. It was a slow summer as far as picking up anything but so far fall is working out nice.On to the pics which will take a few postings. I also picked up a nice used 8.1MP HD Digital camera ( Like the one we owned but better) with a bunch of different lens and extra batteries to replace the one I worked on for a song just in case I couldn't fix it. Everything here cost me $97 including my camera, I don't count what new parts my boss gave me as I just help out around the shop for them.
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